Weft stop motion for shuttleless looms



July 16, 1929. R. ca. MOYA WEFT STOP MOTION FOR SHUTTLELESS LOONS I Filed March 1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 16, 1929. R. G. MOYA 1,721,030

WEF'I STOP MOTION FOR SHUTTLELESS LOOMS Filed March 1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mme TaQ Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES RAMON GARCIA MOYA, OF GORNELLA DE LLOBREGAT, SPAIN.

WEFT STOP MOTION FOR SHUTTLELESS LOOMS.

Application filed March 1, .1928, Serial No. 258,422, and. in. Spain March 7, 1927.

This invention relates to shuttleless looms in which the weft thread passes from a fixed bobbin arranged at one side of the loom and is inserted into the shed by means of a weft carrying arm given a reciprocating motion, which arm passes the weft thread double as far as the other side of the cloth which is being woven and is withdrawn after the loop or turn in the weft thread has been taken up by a suitable mechanism.

Preferably the weft carrying arm is formed by a flexible needle composed of a strip of steel secured to the end of an oscillating lever -mounted upon one side of the loom, which steel strip is, by the movement of oscillation of the lever, inserted into the shed in order to pass the weft thread through it and then withdrawn from the shed and curved over approximately the circular path followed by the end of the lever to which it is secured.

This type of loom is described in my prior patent application Serial No. 227,995.

The subject of this invention is a mechanism adapted for use in this type of loom for arresting its operation when the weft thread breaks or. runs out, which mechanism serves at the same time to give this weft thread a suitable tension and to absorb the excess amount of thread when the weft carrying arm or stick is withdrawn from the shed, so that the weft thread held in the shedwill always be quite taut.

This mechanism consists essentially in a cylinder or similar member, fixed in position, covered with felt or plush and combined with an elastic arrangement which forms at its end a member through which the weft thread, coming from the bobbin, passes before continuing to reach the weft carrying stick, so that when the weft carrying stick is inserted in the shed the elastic thread guide yields and the weft thread unwinds freely from the bobbin in order to pass from the weft carrying stick with only slight contact with the felt cylinder, and on the other hand, when the weft carrying stick enters the elastic thread guide, takes up the thread given up by the weft carrying stick and provides at the same time for the thread which passes from the bobbin to press against the surface of the felt cylinder, so that this cylinder retains the thread and prevents it from unwinding from the bobbin and the elastic thread guide can freely take up all the weft thread which is given up by the weft carrying stick.

his ela i th ead ide a at h same time as a weft stop motion for knocking off the loomwhen the weft thread breaks and for this purpose it is in communication with a contact member arranged in such a way that during the normal operation of the loom the elastic thread guide does not touch it but if the weft thread breaks this thread guide, on account of its elasticity, moves to touch the contact member thus closing the circuit and causing the loom to be stopped by means of any suitable electric mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated a shuttleless looin provided with the weft stop motion and weft tensioning device according to the present invention.

In these drawings: 1

Fig. 1 is a plan view of this loom.

Fig. 2 shows to a larger scale an elevation ofthe mechanism forming the subject of this invention.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the same.

In Fig. 1 of these drawings, 1 is the gen eral frame of the loom, 2 the warp beam upon which the warp thread is wound, 3 the cloth manufactured, 4 the main shaft of the loom which transmits the reciprocating mot-ion to the slay or reed. 6 by means of the eccentrics ,5, 7 and 8 the healds, 9 the weft carrying stick which inserts the weft thread 10, passing from the bobbin 11, through the shed.

Upon the same plate 12 whichcarried the weft bobbin 11 is disposed a support 13 (see Figs. 2 and 3) which carries by one of its ends a cylinder 14 covered with felt, velvet, plush or other material which provides suitable friction for the thread without damaging this thread. This cylinder 14 is provided with an arm 15 the position of which may be adjusted as desired by means of the screw 16.

In combination with this cylinder 14 and arm 15 a rod 17 is mounted upon the same plate 12 and serves as guide for a spring 18 the end of which forms an arm 19 which terminates in a loop or eye 20 through which the weft thread is made to pass.

The strength of this spring 18 may also be adjusted as desired by lodging its end 21 in any of the grooves 22 formed in the base of the rod 17 and the arm 19 on account of its elasticity tends always to swing in a direction to the right in Figs. 2 and 3, and also forms an elastic thread guide for the weft thread 10. hen this weft thread unwinds from the bobbin 11 it first passes through the fixed thread guides 26 and then under the arm 15 bringing it into contact with the cylinder 14, then through the elastic thread guide 20 and finally through the fixed thread guide 27 after which it passes to the weft inserting stick 9.

A rod 24; is mounted upon the said plates 12 at a point situated a little beyond the extreme position of the elastic arm 19 and these two rods 17 and 24 are connected by means of the terminals 23, 25 with the terminals of an electric circuit which comprises an electric current generator an d a mechanism operated electrically for knocking off the looms, which mechanism may be of any suitable type.

Before the weft carrying stick 9 is inserted into the shed the thread 10 occupies the position shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3. When the weft carrying stick is inserted into the shed it absorbs the thread, overcoming the elasticity of the arm 19 which moves towards the left until the thread occupies the position 110 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which position the thread does not touch or only touches slightly the felt cylinder 1 1. Consequently the thread can be inserted into the thread guide without opposing more re sistance to the action of the weft carrying stick than is strictly necessary for the thread to be straight. \Vhen this weft carrying stick 9 is withdrawn from the shed a deter mined quantity of thread is left loose, which is absorbed again by the elastic arm 19 which moves once more into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The thread 10 then presses upon a large part of the circumference of the cylinder 14: and as this cylinder does not rotate, the thread remains held and does not unwind from the bobbin 11 and the tension of the elastic arm 19 tensions the weft which is in the shed. The position of the fixed arm 15 is regulated at will by providing for the re taining action exerted by the cylinder 14 to be that which is suitable.

If the weft thread 10 breaks the elastic arm 19 no longer remains held by the thread and in this case it moves, on account of its elasticity towards the right until it touches the fixed rod 2 1 and closes the electric circuit thus causing the loom to be stopped.

The same takes place when, for any cause, the loop or turn in the corresponding weft thread at the other edge of the fabric is not held by the mechanism provided for this purpose. This may occur if the thread of this re taining mechanism which is inserted in the loop in the weft thread breaks or if this .mechanism ceases to operate correctly and ceases to retain the weft thread. In one case or in another, when the weft inserting stick is withdrawn the weft does not remain held in the selvedge on the opposite side of the cloth and gives up a larger qauntity of warp thread than usual permitting the arm 19 T device and an electric circuitclosed by said elastic thread guide when the weft breaks or gives out to stop the loom.

2. A weft stop motion for shuttleless looms having in combination a fixed braking cylinder covered with friction producing material, I

an elastic thread guide which oscillates in order to give up weft thread when the weft is inserted in the shed and to take up thread in the return stroke of the weft insertingdevice and an electric circuit closed by said elastic thread guide when the weft breaks or gives out, the weft thread being pressed by the action of said elastic thread guide upon the braking cylinder during the return stroke of the weft inserting device thus permitting the elastic thread guide to-tension the weft which is in the shed and the braking cylinder being provided with an adjustable arm below which the weft thread is made to pass in order to regulate the amount of contact of the weft thread with the braking cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name tothis specification.

RAMON GARCIA MOYA. 

